The Suite Life

Let me be clear – I am a hotel junkie, and have splurged on quite a few suites in my day. The Huntington Suite at the Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, however, is a clear front-runner.

In fact, the resort as a whole has a soothing effect. For a hotel that does a big meetings business, the Langham has a soft, personal feel. The entire property smells like fresh-cut flowers, with a different floral scent around every corner. Service-wise, everything – from the on-site trainers in the fitness center to the free car service transporting guests within two miles of the resort – is first-class (precisely why the Langham is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World).

But back to the suite. Two things had me immediately: the view (pictured left) and the beautiful mahogany bed. And then I saw the bathroom area – a long hall complete with a shower, a separate whirlpool bathtub, a large vanity and a small bathroom. Some might argue that the individually boxed toiletries (which extend beyond your standard shampoo and sewing kit) are not exactly “green.” Still, my high-maintenance side appreciated this luxurious touch, and the many others that combined for a suite worthy of $519 a night (summer rate).

After a much-needed massage in the Langham spa, I sat down for brunch in the hotel restaurant and had my first stressful thought since I’d arrived – check out is in an hour.

LATHER Me Up

Never again will I waste time pouring shampoo, conditioner and lotion into travel-size plastic bottles. Skincare and beauty company LATHER has gone to the trouble for me.

My latest addiction: the company’s Fly Away Kit, complete with 2 oz. bottles of their most popular aromatherapy concoctions, including mint thyme hair wash and body wash, yuzu bergamot crème rinse and moisturizer, lip protector and hand crèam. The colorful, travel-friendly toiletries come in a reusable plastic case—so much prettier than those plastic drug-store bottles. Get it online for $20 at www.lather.com, or at LATHER stores in New York, Atlanta, Pasadena and Scottsdale.

(p.s. Delta loves LATHER too – we discovered LATHER soap in the on-board restrooms)

New! Trippy Gypsies Photo Gallery

Finally . . . we've got pictures. On the top right of this blog you'll find Trippy Gypsies Photo Gallery, a new work in progress containing our favorite snapshots from around the world. Simply click the photo for information on where it was taken. Soon, you'll be able to see shots from Hawaii, Portugal, Costa Rica, Vancouver, Australia and more. Have a great picture you'd like to share? Send an email, photo/caption and your name and we'll post the most fabulous photos in a blog entry.

Touring with Tiger

A familiar beast is on the prowl and once again, he’s eyeing birds and eagles. Plus a fifth Green Jacket in April.

Yes, Tiger Woods is back — and according to some, his recently rebuilt knee has made him better than ever. The TrippyGypsies crew has attended a few professional golf events in our time, most notably the 1994 U.S. Open at Shinnecock on Long Island and the 2008 Buick Invitational at spectacular Torrey Pines in San Diego. While the drama of a major tournament near New York was obviously a thrill, we found that a high-end PGA Tour locale like Torrey Pines is the best way to get up-close and personal with Tiger and other top players.

Since tickets for the Thursday and Friday rounds go for as low as $10 per person on Craigslist, now is the perfect time to treat yourself to a sun-drenched day at one of the world’s best golf venues while watching a once-in-a-generation athlete rewrite golf’s history books.

If you're seeking a unique PGA experience at a great tournament, here is our list of four unique upcoming events:

CA World Golf Championship at Doral – March 12-15
Located just outside Miami, this venue will likely be the setting for Tiger’s first medal-round event after knee surgery, and because the course layout is tight and flat, it is a walker’s paradise. We played Doral in a charity event several years back and the venue has a beautiful course design and great March weather to boot. Doral is only 20 minutes from South Beach and, if you follow our blog, the same distance from serene Key Biscayne.

The Players Championship – May 7-10
The TPC Sawgrass is located in northern Florida between Jacksonville Beach and historic St. Augustine, and boasts the famous (infamous for some) “island green” on its 17th Hole. What makes the Players Championship a truly unique experience is the stadium design for galleries. TPC is set up to provide great vantage points for any spectator, which means you won’t get stuck behind rows of tall people at the greens, struggling to see Tiger putt.

PGA Championship at Hazeltine – August 13-16
The Masters costs a fortune to attend and the U.S. Open will be a free-for-all at its 2008 Bethpage location outside New York, so if it’s a major tournament that you crave, the 2008 PGA may be a perfect summer getaway in the land of a thousand lakes – Minnesota. Hazeltine is located in Chaska just outside of Minneapolis, a town that was ranked #8 on CNN Money’s list of the 100 Best Places to Live in America. Guess they didn’t visit there in January! Nevertheless, the Great Outdoors comes alive in Minnesota come August, with numerous world-class camping facilities, as well as a bevy of scenic lake cottages rented at very reasonable rates.

The Barclays FedEx Cup Playoff – August 27-30
Here’s something you don’t see every day – a long Par 5 with an unimpeded view of the Empire State Building. Welcome to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ. This will be the first-ever PGA event played at this locale, which is a brand new British-style links course situated just four miles from downtown Manhattan. The TrippyGypsies got a sneak peak of this course two years ago and we have to admit, the penalty for an errant drive is kind of strange – “oops, I just shanked my ball into the Hudson River shipping lanes.” Still, we predict this event will get all sorts of notoriety and plenty of A-list stars in the gallery as well!

For more information about a tournament near you, log on to www.pgatour.com

Dreaming of Portugal in Newark, NJ

Before last weekend, I’d never been to Newark, NJ; I’d never really had a reason to go there. But after hearing about the city’s Ironbound District, renowned for its Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine, I was eager to cross the state border for a little seafood and sangria.

The Ironbound District is easily accessible from Manhattan – you simply take the PATH train to Newark’s Pennsylvania Station (a roughly 40-minute ride depending on where you depart from) and walk a few blocks east. At the heart of the area is Ferry Street, lined with Portuguese-owned cafes, bakeries and restaurants like Sol Mar (above), a new favorite of mine.

Sol Mar proved to be everything its reviewers had promised: an inviting place to enjoy an exceptional meal and take in the culture of this historic community (learn more about the area on this blog, http://ironboundnewark.com/). Since there was a short wait for our table, we pulled up a stool at the diner-style bar and ordered a pitcher of red sangria. Soon we were escorted into a slightly more elegant room for a borderline gluttonous, worth-every-bite dinner.

We started with clams in a flavorsome verde sauce that made us wish we’d saved some bread for dipping. Then came chorizo, flame-cooked to perfection by our waiter right at our table. For the main course, we shared Portuguese-style swordfish in a tomato-based sauce and salmon stuffed with crab meat and accompanied by vegetables and boiled tomatoes. We left very content, and since our entire meal with tax, tips and drinks was only $81, we had plenty of money left for another round – or two – of sangria.

We moved on to Sagres Bar & Grill on nearby Prospect Street, which made me nostalgic for the sleepy fishing village in Portugal’s Algarve region for which it is named. During a visit there two years ago, I learned that the village lies just east of the point of land believed to be the end of the world before Columbus’ voyage to the "Far East" -- and snapped some great photos like the one to the right.

There was nothing sleepy about Sagres, the bar. A lively crowd welcomed us, and we soon found ourselves singing along with them to Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (it was Valentine’s Day, after all). Hours later and well into the next morning, we made our way to the door. On the way out, the owner told us, “love as much and as often as you can.” Sound advice and the perfect ending to our adventurous, romantic evening.

Winter Travel That'll Warm Your Spirits

Don't let this weekend's thaw fool you - Winter is alive and well and none of us are relishing next week's return to sub-freezing temps. It's the perfect time to escape to a place that is light on tourists, light on drama and even lighter on the wallet.

We recommend two Florida locales - Anna Maria Island and Key Biscayne - to reacquaint your chilled-to-the-bone body and soul with the innocence and splendor of simple beach living.

Anna Maria Island offers the ultimate Gulf Coast, barrier island experience. Situated between Sarasota and Tampa, it boasts the "end of all land" sunsets famous on Key West, minus the cheese-factor and sloppiness one would expect from Jimmy Buffet's home base. Instead, Anna Maria has eclectic cafes, casual beachfront restaurants and family-owned shops - you know, the sort of thing that got lost in the land of big box stores and Applebees. We recommend a morning stroll to the northern tip of Anna Maria, where you can watch a dramatic sunrise over the famous Tampa bridge and, on a clear day, the Tampa skyline itself. And for an evening nightcap, try the Sandbar. It'd better known as a wedding reception hot spot, but if you can get there on a weeknight, a glass of wine on a lazy Gulf evening is as good as it gets!

Key Biscayne is an island that lies south of Miami Beach and east of Miami. It and nearby Virginia Key, while named keys, are not geologically part of what most people know as the Florida Keys. More conveniently, Key Biscayne can be quickly reached from the mainland by driving over a 5-mile Causeway that spans Biscayne Bay. And while you can clearly see South Beach from Key Biscayne, that is where the similarities end. For locals, Key Biscayne is the ultimate serene bedroom community just across the bay from one of America's most cosmopolitan cities. For vacationers, it's a daytime paradise to recharge the batteries before an endless night of partying commences just 15 minutes away.


On Key Biscayne's southern inhabited end, there lie hundreds of bungalows - many of which are rented on a weekly basis at very affordable rates. If your tastes and budget demand more, then Key Biscayne offers two world-class resorts, the Ritz Carlton and the Sonesta. The island is also home to most of Miami's rowing clubs, the Ericcson Open tennis tournament (considered the "5th Grand Slam"), parasailing galore and a championship 18-hole golf course. So whether you like East or West when it comes to Florida, we hope you get plenty of time to de-stress during this time when we all need it sorely.

Update: Gurney’s Inn

We recently wrote about a disappointing experience we had when trying to book a stay at Gurney’s Inn in Montauk, LI for New Year’s Eve (see “Hotel Service Should Be at an All-Time High,” January 5). We’re happy to report that the general manager has since sent the following reply, proving that it’s never too late to offer good service:

On behalf of Gurney's Inn I would like to formally apologize for the inconvenience encountered while attempting to join us for our New Years Eve party. While it was a sold out event there is no excuse for you to have never received a response during your numerous inquiries to our reservations department. As General Manager of the resort I would love to extend a complimentary overnight stay, prior to May fifteenth, so we can make up for our embarrassing lack of hospitality during your first encounter with the resort. Feel free to contact my office to speak with me personally and hopefully setup your stay.

Sincere Apologies,
Paul Monte

While we unfortunately can’t accept his offer, we do appreciate the genuine response. And, we’ll certainly be more inclined to give Gurney’s another shot – on our own dime.

Travel Deal of the Week: 1/26 – 2/2

Talk about a slam dunk: we just heard of deeply discounted New York Knicks tickets from Travelzoo! If you’re in town, see the Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks in Madison Square Garden this Wednesday. Yes, we know that’s tomorrow, but if you hurry, you may score seats at the 300 level for $20.09 and at the 200 level for $32 (more than 65% off regular prices). Plus, they’re throwing in a free Knicks T-shirt. Click here for tickets and use the following promotional codes at checkout:

300 level seats: “2009”
200 level seats: “DOUBLE”

Ole to Oleanders! Galveston: A City Reborn

History has a way of repeating itself, and in the case of Galveston, Texas, the past is resurfacing in the form of a unique flower. Just months after Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc and destruction on this famous barrier island, Galveston is reborn – with its cherished Oleander flower back in bloom.

Galveston has become known as America’s Oleander City, and this Southwestern flower was also the symbol of an earlier resurrection in 1900, when it returned to the landscape after a brutal hurricane that wiped out the entire city and killed 8,000 people.

Now, horticulture aside, Galveston’s decade-long renaissance is back in full swing despite the loss of some fishing piers along Seawall Boulevard. Popular events such as the Dickens Festival in December drew record crowds, and the cruise industry - forced to divert docking to Houston after Ike - is back on the island and running a full schedule. Galveston’s Strand National Historic Landmark District is undergoing a massive renovation and not all of its new tenants are yesterday’s news. For example, Starbucks, which is closing hundreds of stores nationwide, recently opened a spectacular franchise here. In all, $24 million has been spent readying the historic district for a major post-Ike coming out party – Mardi Gras (February 13-24).

And what a party it should be! We are told Galveston throws the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in America, and according to some reliable party “pros”, it has been a better scene than the Big Easy for years. But just in case you miss the revelry this February, Galveston boasts a unique mix of hotels, conference centers, national parks, restaurants and bars open for business year-round. We tested The Spot (pictured above), a poplar local hangout right on the Seawall, to cure some serious hunger pains. The Shrimp Poboy is a must, the burgers are perfectly cooked to order, and it isn’t hard to imagine this place as the perfect apre-beach destination come summer.

Speaking of which, Galveston's realtors are aggressively marketing summer rentals at vastly under-market rates. For those handymen with an eye toward the future, some of the damaged (but salvagable) houses from Ike are being sold “as is” for rock-bottom prices.

In his inaugural address, President Obama said “we’re going to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get this country back on track.” With a resilient population, robust attractions, great events and yes, those Oleanders, Galveston’s already on its way.

Travel Spotlight: Cost-Effective Costa Rica

Note from TG: This post was written the day before an earthquake struck Costa Rica north of the capital, San Jose. The most affected areas are within a small radius of the Poas Volcano and the only tourist areas said to impacted were the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and adjacent Peace Lodge Hotel. We are posting this, despite the earthquake, because we believe it’s as good a time as ever to support the country’s tourism industry.

Don’t let a little national deficit put a wrench in your travel plans. Sure, it’s difficult to justify leisure travel when you’re struggling to keep your steady paycheck. But what if you could add more to your vacation itinerary while spending less? You can in Costa Rica, where the dollar is still strong and the scenery is priceless.

Beyond its economical value, Costa Rica boasts three other attractive elements: the convenience of proximity; the allure of a tropical locale; and the thrill of adventure tourism. Friends and I took a six-day trip there, flying into San Jose, renting a car and driving down the West Coast. We began in the rainforest and ended at the beach, visiting Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio. Our activities ranged from some R&R at a hot springs spa to zipping some 300 ft. over the rainforest canopy on a series of suspended wires. We toured an active volcano, saw species of animals we’d never heard of and swam next to the cast of MTV’s "The Real World." And those are just a few highlights.

At less than $1,000 per person, including airfare, five nights in four different hotels and the rental car, the trip to Costa Rica remains the most affordable vacation I’ve ever taken – and one of the most memorable. If you go, and choose to follow the Arenal-Monteverde-Manuel Antonio route, consider these pointers:

• Make a reservation at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Arenal and ask for a room with a volcano view. Then set your alarm and catch a front-row view of the volcano erupting after dark (beds face the windows). It’s like being on the Discovery Channel.
  
• Reserve a rental car a month in advance, and make sure it has four-wheel drive. Costa Ricans use the word “road” loosely, so take it slow and enjoy the ride – you’ll discover some incredible sights just by looking out the window.
  
• Don’t spend more than a day or two in Monteverde. The cloud forest is definitely worth seeing (suspension bridges offer spectacular views), but there’s not much else there.
  
• Visit Manuel Antonio National Park. It contains more than 100 species of mammals and nearly 200 species of birds, which is reason enough to check it out (if you need another reason, it’s also home to a beautiful beach.)
  
• Do not leave the country without snapping a photo of a sloth, eating something – anything – smothered in guava sauce, or taking a zip line tour. (The zip line tour is a must, and since they are offered throughout the country, you can wait until you’ve worked up enough courage.)